Wrench having floatingly mounted movable jaw



y 25, 1950 D. c. KERR 2,516,395

WRENCH HAVING FLOATINGLY MOUNTED MOVABLE JAW Filed July 15, 1946 I as I/Jc. 3a

INVENTOR. D /berf C. Kerr Patented July 25, 1950 Delbert CQKerr, IowaGitytIowa *Applicationi'July-H, 1946, Serial N 0. 683,629

This invention relates to tools and more: sp'e cifically to-wrenchesparticularly adapted-tor use on pipes or the like, and has'for itsprimary object the provision of a wrench having a fixed 'and avmovable:jaw and means for shifting said movable .jaw" thateliminates the bindingcharacteristic of theusual type of pipe wrench due toundesirabl'eufriction.inherent therein. 1

01m of the mostimportant objects :of this iniventi'on is to provide apipewrench having-afixed jaw and a movable jaw actuated by elongitudinally .disposedi. .rotatable shaft having an uniquejaw-engaging head thereon held in operative engagement with the jaw-by apin that serves also l to. pivotally mount the movable law to assure apositive grip upon thegpipe helditlrerebyz Another important objectl ofthis invention is to provide a wrenchhaving a jaw movable towardand froma fixed jaw, -which movable jaw is pivotally held-inoperative 'positionby a collar in encircling engagement therewith and freely slidable onthe body-of the'wrench andthe provision of a line-contact or abut menton-one' edge of the movable jaw upon which the same may move as itpivots within the collar.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a wrenchhaving a pivotally mounted movable jaw that has a cavity formed in oneend thereof and so formed to cooperate with a domeshaped head on anoperating shaft therefor, whereby free pivoting movement of the movablejaw is possible as the dome-shaped head rotates in the cavity and bearsagainst said jaw to move the same into operative position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wrench having a movablejaw with actuating means therefor supported in longitudinal relation tothe body of the wrench and projecting beyond the end of the wrench body,the amount of projection being greater when larger work is being engagedso that as the projected end of the actuating member is gripped, greaterleverage is obtained.

Other objects of this invention will appear during the course of thefollowing specification, referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a wrench made in accordance with thepresent invention.

Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, detailed, fragmentary sectional view takenthrough a portion of the wrench on line III-III of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross sectional view through the wrench taken online IV-IV of Fig. 1.

The wrench forming the subject matter of this 2-;Claims. (crest-finalinvention has an elongated, relatively narrow body 6 on one end of whichis formedallaterally extendingtfibied ijaw' fli Asseries otserrations l0formed along: one edge. of the jaw :8'. co-act with similar serrationsl2 on one edge of aumovable jaws l 41.. The thicknessof the body- 6::and. of all zthetpartsx about toi'beadescribed. is relatively narrow itofacilitate access thereby into-recesses or the :likamot.ordinarily:possible-vwithithe. usual type oifiipiper'awrench;

-.The.imovable ;j aw 14 isaslidably mounted upon landacarriedzlby :the:body Gcthrough the medium .ofu-aaicollar 116 which LGIIGiIGIBSIthE body6. land a portion.l8 anfethe jaw .l:4."which.portion- [.8 basis. length:substantially :the zsame- .as the *widthaof ienll-ar -16..=.As\r.clearly illustratediin. Fig. .3, .a line contactorabutmentaindicatedvas at. 20 .is formed on one edge of the portionI-Bzr'emOte fromithe hodyefi whiclnabutment; 2'0 bears:against'oneainner wallet, the: collar :l 6. ;A spring 22; yieldablymaintains the-abutment 20. impositionagainst the nollar. .-l'6. Thiscollar-tfiis of .such size togpcrmitztree.-.sliding. movement thereofgonbody: 6*: and to allow the jaw I4 to pivot freely on a pin 24 thatpasses through portion l8 thereof and through the two side walls of thecollar IS. A cavity 26 is formed in the end of the jaw l4 opposite tothe serrations l2 and is formed to present a concave bottom wall tocooperate with the rounded portion of a dome-shaped head 32 on one endof an operating shaft 28. An annular groove 30 adjacent to the head 32is engaged by the pin 24 when the head 32 is within the cavity 26 andagainst the concave bottom wall thereof. The pin 24 intersects theuppermost portion of the cavity 26 and serves not only to maintain thehead 32 within the cavity 26 but pivotally mounts the jaw I4 in thecollar l6. Obviously sufficient clearance is provided in the cavity 26and between pin 24 and groove 30 to permit swinging movement of jaw l4within collar I6 and on head 32.

A bearing 34 formed integrally with the body 6 receives the shaft 28 inits tapped opening 36, and screw-threads 38'formed on the shaft 28 arein engagement with the internally threaded bearing 34. A hearing 40disposed near the end of body 6 opposite to the jaw 8 supports the shaft28 in operative position and establishes a rigid connection forpermitting the projected end of the shaft 28 to be used as a workinglever when the wrench is being used. A grip 42 is mounted on the freeend of the shaft 28 to facilitate rotation of the shaft 28.

It is notable that the wrench may be easily disassembled if such shouldbecome necessary for replacement of worn parts by merely removing thepin 24. When such is done, the jaw I4 is slipped from engagement withthe collar i6 and the shaft 28, and the collar it slipped over the fixedjaw 8. The length of the collar l5 and the rounded point of mergerbetween the jaw 8 and the body 6 as is clear in Figs. 1 and 2, readilypermits such removal of the collar l6. j

Frictional binding is almost entirely eliminated by the provision of theconcave bottom wall in the cavity 2E which permits pivotal movement ofthe jaw id as this bottom wallslides transversely across the face of thedome-shapedhead 32. This action takes place even when a great amount ofpressure is brought to bear against this bottom wall by the shaft 28.

It is understood that wrenches having physical characteristics otherthan those shown and described might be made, without departing from thespirit of the invention or, scope of the appended claims 7,

Having thus. described my invention, whatl claim, as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wrench of the character described comprising a body having a fixedjaw extending laterally therefrom; a collar slidably carried by thebody; a movable jaw pivotally mounted in said collar, said movable jawhaving a cavity formedin its rear end, with the bottom wall thereofbeing concave; an internally threaded bearing depending from one edge ofsaid body; an operating shaftin threaded engagement with said bearing,said'shaft having a dome-shaped end engaging the concave bottom wall ofsaid cavity and an annular groove formed therein adjacent saiddome-shaped end; and a pin forpivotally mounting said movable jaw insaid collar, said pin intersecting said cavity and passing tangentlythroughsaid annular groove for maintaining the shaft and movable jaw inoperative engagement, said movable jaw having an abutbearing dependingfrom one edge of said body; an operating shaft in threaded engagementwith said bearing one end of said shaft having a dome-shaped head inslidable engagement with the concave bottom wall of said cavity and hav-1 ing an annular groove formed therein adjacent said domeeshaped end; apin for pivotally mounting said movable jaw in said collar, said pinintersecting said cavity and passing tangently through said annulargroove for maintaining the shaft and movablenjaw in operativeengagement, said movable jaw having an abutment formed on one edgethereof and bearing against a proximal wall of the collar as the movablejaw swings on said pivot, said collar being inencircling engagement withsaid body and a portion of said movable jaw; and a spring interposedbetween the body and the opposite edge of said movable jaw forcooperating with the shaft in yieldably maintaining the abutment inengagement with the said wall of the collar.

DELBERT C'. KERR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file ofthis patent? UNITED STATES Number Date 1,349,564 I Evitset-al. Aug. 17,1920

